Qoos Use Sustaining Health Among patIents hOspitalized in Geriatric mediciNe (QUSHION)

Overview

Falls are a frequent and serious problem in old people. It is estimated that one-third of subjects over 65 years of age and 50% of those over 85 years of age have at least one fall per year (1). The traumatic and psychological consequences of falls contribute to the loss of functional independence and lead to early institutionalization (2). All activities of daily living require us to maintain a state of postural balance, whether standing, sitting, static or dynamic. Thus, good coordination is essential to maintain balance, reflecting both peripheral (muscular) and central (cognitive) motor control (3,4). Coordination skills between posture and movement decline during aging without associated disorder, and even more so when this aging is associated by cognitive disorders (5,6). On the contrary, as part of a balance rehabilitation program, an adapted training allows the partial recovery of the balance management process in elderly subjects who fall (7). Le Qoos® by LudHealth is technical foam equipment, which can be installed on the wall, to practice various physical exercises. It can therefore be used as a simple support, leaning on with hands, arms, feet or even the head, exerting contact points, pressures or even impacts with more or less force. Le Qoos® is an equipment that allows to perform, on the same object, gentle or tonic exercises, balance, flexibility, sheathing or muscle strengthening while having fun. We hypothesize that cognitive-physical stimulation workshops based on the use of the device Le Qoos® and is environment are i) adapted to geriatric fall prevention issues, ii) accessible to elderly hospitalized patients and health professionals, and iii) effective and safe to maintain and/or recover postural balance in elderly hospitalized patients. First step of this work is to assess whether "Le Qoos" is considered as usable par end-users of the device.

This satisfaction survey will be carried out in the Geriatrics department of the University Hospital of Angers. Actually, Le Qoos and is environment is installed in a hospitalisation room of the geriatric unit. When the patient entered the room, a first series of questions are asked a priori concerning the device. These questions are also asked to the relatives of the patient if any, and to the professional caregivers of the unit. After this first series of questions, a list of possible exercises is given to the patients, regrading is functional capabilities according to the EGS-1, with some explanations. The proposed exercises correspond to 3 selected actions based on the results of scientific research conducted by the team at the University Hospital of Angers to prevent the risks of iatrogenic dependence. Then, the patient and is relatives, if any, are free to use the device during the all hospitalisation. During the 48h before the discharge from the hospital, a second list of questions will be asked to assess the usability and the satisfaction concerning the device.